Sage ERP X3 provides superior flexibility to Namakwa Diamonds

Namakwa Diamonds required an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that could meet complex requirements, yet offer flexibility. The company opted to implement Sage ERP X3, a proven solution for mid-market customers with international ambitions and multi-national requirements, which fit Namakwa Diamonds perfectly.

The company is an integrated diamond resource group that is listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange. Namakwa Diamonds has a resource base of c.20 million carats indicated and inferred and comprises of producing mines in South Africa and Lesotho.

The organisation also has a diamond trading and beneficiation division with current operations in Johannesburg, Tel Aviv, Kinshasa and Gaborone in addition to a global distribution channel. Namakwa Diamonds’ core strategy is to increase volumes from its current mining assets to take advantage of impending global shortages of supply and maximise returns from the sale of own and third party production through its downstream trading and beneficiation division.

The ability to process multiple ledgers on different currencies was a big requirement for us, says Anton Jacobsz, Chief Information Officer at Namawka Diamonds. “We wanted an ERP system that is robust enough to operate from a centralised environment, processing transactions to multiple legal entities within one installation. Sage ERP X3 met those requirements and further provided us with the data integrity that we needed, budget management, stock control, fixed asset management and the provision of solid management reporting.”

Namakwa Diamonds placed its trust in Datacentrix as a preferred vendor, due to its proven track record of successful ERP implementations. “The executive team at Namakwa Diamonds gave their full support to the implementation of Sage ERP X3 from the start, which greatly facilitated buy-in from users,” says Johan Hanekom, Business Unit Manager at Datacentrix. “The entire process started with a comprehensive situational analysis of Namakwa Diamonds, which formed the basis of the draft that outlined the functional specifications and business processes that the client required.”

Conversion of data from the legacy system to Sage ERP X3 started early in the implementation cycle. “Specific training material was created for Namakwa Diamonds and we conducted user-based training sessions in order to familiarise staff members with the system. Once we were ready to go live with the system, we held an information session to ensure that all were up to speed with what their role would be during the process. Once the new system was up and running we ensured that the staff at Namakwa Diamonds had the support they needed and provided additional training to super users,” explains Hanekom.

One of the key aspects that Namakwa Diamonds needed was workflow automation, which Sage ERP X3 excels at, says Keith Fenner, Senior Vice President of Sales for Africa, Softline Accpac and Sage MMD Africa. “Unlike traditional workflow automation software systems that come with pre-defined workflow processes, the extensive parameterisation available within Sage ERP X3 makes it possible for companies to define any business event and condition to initiate workflow messaging and/or trigger processing. It makes it easy to automate traditional paper-based and task-intensive processes in order to minimise job duplication and greatly enhance data integrity,” explains Fenner.

“Sage ERP X3 has enormous potential for growth, which perfectly aligns with our future business plans at Namakwa Diamonds. Having accurate and real-time information available is providing management with the means to make informed decisions, which is exactly what we wanted,” concludes Jacobsz.

About Softline Accpac

Softline Accpac is a provider of business management solutions including financial, distribution, service management, retail, warehouse management, manufacturing and CRM to the mid-range market. Accpac solutions are delivered to 130 countries exclusively through a global network of solution providers, including over 150 throughout Africa. Softline Accpac's product line includes: Accpac ERP, Accpac CRM, Accpac RMS, Service Manager and Accpac Insight. Softline Accpac also distributes Sage SalesLogix, Sage Geode and Sage ERP X3, a full-service enterprise management software system for mid-to-large businesses. With a choice of languages, currencies, enterprises, locations and legislations, Sage ERP X3 offers an efficient, multi-company solution.

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